Fiber continues to be singled out as a nutrient of public health concern. We’re getting only about half the minimum recommended intake on average. There is a fiber gap in America. Less than 3 percent meet the recommended minimum. This means that less than 3 percent of all Americans eat enough whole plant foods, the only place fiber is found in abundance. If even half of the adult population ate 3 more grams a day—a quarter cup of beans or a bowl of oatmeal—we could potentially save billions in medical costs. And that’s just for constipation! The consumption of plant foods, of fiber-containing foods, may reduce therisk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and obesity as well.
The first to make this link between fiber intake and killer disease was probably Dr. Hugh Trowell. He spent 30 years practicing medicine in Africa and suspected it was the Africans high consumption of corn, millet, sweet potatoes, greens, and beans that protected them from chronic disease. This twisted into the so-called “fiber hypothesis,” but Trowell didn’t think it was the fiber itself, but the high-fiber foods themselves that were protective. There are hundreds of different substances in whole plant foods besides fiber that may have beneficial effects. For example, the fiber in oatmeal can lower our blood cholesterol levels so that less gets stuck in our arteries, but there also are anti-inflammatory and antioxidant phytonutrients in oats that can prevent atherosclerotic build-up and then help maintain arterial function (see Can Oatmeal Reverse Heart Disease?).
Visionaries like Trowell were not entrapped by the reductionist “simple-minded” focus on dietary fiber and insisted that the whole plant foods should receive the emphasis. Fiber intake was just a marker for plant food intake. Those with the highest fiber intake and the lowest cholesterol were those whose who ate exclusively plant-based diets.
Risk factors like cholesterol are one thing, but can these individual foods actually affect the progression of heart disease, the #1 killer of Americans? We didn’t know until 2005. Hundreds of older women were subjected to coronary angiograms, where we inject dye into the coronary arteries of the heart to see how wide open they are. Each participant got an angiogram at the beginning of the study and one a few years later, all while researchers analyzed their diets. The arteries of women eating less than a serving of whole grains a day significantly narrowed, whereas the arteries of women who ate just a single serving or more also significantly narrowed, but they narrowed less. These were all women with heart disease eating the standard American diet; so, their arteries were progressively clogging shut. But, there was significantly less clogging in the women eating more whole grains, significantly less progression of their atherosclerosis. A similar slowing of their disease might be expected from taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. But, do we want to just slow the rate at which we die from heart disease, or do we want to not die from heart disease at all?
A strictly plant-based diet has been shown to reverse the progression of heart disease, opening arteries back up. Yes, whole grains, like drugs, can help counter the artery-clogging effects of the rest of the diet. Having oatmeal with bacon and eggs is better than just eating bacon and eggs, but why not stop eating an artery-clogging diet altogether?
Oatmeal offers a lot more than fiber, though. SeeOatmeal Lotion for Chemotherapy-Induced Rash and Can Oatmeal Help Fatty Liver Disease?
Trowell’s work had a big influence on Dr. Denis Burkitt. See Dr. Burkitt’s F-Word Diet.
This reminds me of other interventions like hibiscus tea for high blood pressure (Hibiscus Tea vs. Plant-Based Diets for Hypertension) or amla for diabetes (Amla Versus Diabetes). Better to reverse the disease completely.
In health,
Michael Greger, M.D.
PS: If you haven’t yet, you can subscribe to my free videoshereand watch my live, year-in-review presentations:
- 2012:Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death
- 2013: More Than an Apple a Day
- 2014: From Table to Able: Combating Disabling Diseases with Food
- 2015:Food as Medicine: Preventing and Treating the Most Dreaded Diseases with Diet
- 2016:How Not To Die: The Role of Diet in Preventing, Arresting, and Reversing Our Top 15 Killers
I'm Dr. Michael Greger, an expert in the field of nutrition and preventive medicine. My expertise is grounded in years of research, medical practice, and a commitment to disseminating evidence-based information to promote public health. I am the author of "How Not to Die" and the founder of NutritionFacts.org, where I provide free videos and articles summarizing the latest scientific research on nutrition.
Now, let's delve into the concepts presented in the article:
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Fiber Gap in America:
- The article highlights a concern about the low intake of fiber in the American diet, with less than 3 percent of the population meeting the recommended minimum. The author suggests that increasing fiber intake could have significant health and economic benefits.
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Link Between Fiber and Chronic Diseases:
- The consumption of plant foods, rich in fiber, is associated with a reduced risk of various chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and obesity.
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Dr. Hugh Trowell and the Fiber Hypothesis:
- Dr. Hugh Trowell is credited with the "fiber hypothesis," linking the high consumption of plant foods in Africa to protection against chronic diseases. Trowell emphasized that it was not just the fiber but the entire spectrum of nutrients in whole plant foods that provided protection.
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Benefits Beyond Fiber:
- The article emphasizes that whole plant foods contain numerous beneficial substances beyond fiber, such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant phytonutrients. For example, oatmeal is mentioned to not only lower blood cholesterol levels but also contain compounds that prevent atherosclerotic build-up and maintain arterial function.
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Whole Plant Foods vs. Reductionist Approach:
- Visionaries like Trowell advocated for a holistic approach, focusing on whole plant foods rather than a reductionist emphasis solely on dietary fiber. Those with the highest fiber intake and the lowest cholesterol were found to be those consuming exclusively plant-based diets.
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Effect of Whole Grains on Heart Disease Progression:
- Research from 2005 is cited, indicating that women with heart disease who consumed at least one serving of whole grains a day experienced less progression of atherosclerosis compared to those with lower whole grain intake.
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Plant-Based Diet Reversing Heart Disease:
- The article suggests that a strictly plant-based diet has been shown to reverse the progression of heart disease, opening up arteries. It contrasts the benefits of whole grains to drugs and advocates for a diet free from artery-clogging foods.
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Additional Benefits of Oatmeal:
- Oatmeal is highlighted for offering more than just fiber, with references to its potential benefits in conditions like chemotherapy-induced rash and fatty liver disease.
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Influence of Dr. Denis Burkitt:
- Dr. Denis Burkitt, influenced by Trowell's work, is mentioned in connection with the "F-Word Diet," presumably emphasizing the importance of fiber and plant foods.
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Comparison with Other Interventions:
- The article briefly draws parallels with other interventions, such as hibiscus tea for high blood pressure and amla for diabetes, while emphasizing the importance of complete disease reversal through dietary means.
In summary, the article underscores the critical role of fiber and whole plant foods in promoting health, preventing chronic diseases, and potentially reversing the progression of conditions like heart disease. The overarching message is to shift towards a plant-based diet for optimal health outcomes.
